Gap adjustment assembly for blade portioner conveyors

Abstract

An automatic blade and conveyor gap adjustment assembly for a blade portioning conveyor machine having a blade assembly and a conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor includes a blade adjustment assembly suitable for moving the blade assembly between at least first and second positions relative to the conveyor assembly and a first automatic conveyor gap adjustment assembly. The first automatic conveyor gap adjustment assembly is configured to define a first gap between an interior nose of the infeed conveyor and an interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the first position of the blade assembly, and it is configured to define a second gap between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the second position of the blade assembly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A blade and conveyor gap adjustment assembly for a blade portioning conveyor machine having a blade assembly and a conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor, the blade and conveyor gap adjustment assembly comprising:
 (a) a blade adjustment assembly suitable for moving the blade assembly between at least first and second positions relative to the conveyor assembly; and 
 (b) a first conveyor gap adjustment assembly configured to define a first gap between an interior nose of the infeed conveyor and an interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the first position of the blade assembly and configured to define a second gap between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the second position of the blade assembly, wherein the first conveyor gap adjustment assembly includes a mechanical movement assembly configured to linearly move one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor for defining the first and second gaps between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor, the mechanical movement assembly comprising:
 (i) a push-pull rod that is configured to linearly move in forward and rearward directions substantially along an axis of the conveyor assembly; 
 (ii) a sliding bar moveable by the push-pull rod that is coupled to the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor; and 
 (iii) an adjustable limiting assembly configured to limit the linear movement of the sliding bar when the push-pull rod is moved in the forward and rearward directions. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical connection assembly operably disposed between the blade adjustment assembly and the first conveyor gap adjustment assembly suitable for translating the movement of the blade assembly to the first conveyor gap adjustment assembly. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the blade adjustment assembly comprises a drive shaft secured to a portion of the blade assembly that is rotatable to move the blade assembly between the at least first and second positions, wherein the drive shaft is operably coupled to a driven shaft of the first conveyor gap adjustment assembly through the mechanical connection assembly. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the mechanical movement assembly includes a cam assembly moveable by the driven shaft. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the cam assembly is operably coupled to the push-pull rod, and the cam assembly is configured to translate the rotation of the driven shaft to linear movement of the push-pull rod in forward and rearward directions. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the sliding bar is engageable with a second stop when the push-pull rod is moved in the forward direction and a first stop when the push-pull rod is moved in the rearward direction. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the sliding bar is in a first position when it engages the first stop, and wherein the sliding bar is in a second position when it engages the second stop. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second stops are adjustable in position to adjust the first and second positions of the sliding bar. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second stops are fasteners threadably received within a portion of the blade portioning conveyor machine. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second stops are sensors received within a portion of the blade portioning conveyor machine. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising a first biasing member secured to the push-pull rod and engageable with the sliding bar to urge the sliding bar into the second position, and a second biasing member secured to the push-pull rod and engageable with the sliding bar to urge the sliding bar into the first position. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first biasing member compresses when the push-pull rod moves the sliding bar into the second position to allow the push-pull rod to continue moving forward after the sliding bar engages the second stop, and wherein the second biasing member compresses when the push-pull rod moves the sliding bar into the first position to allow the push-pull rod to continue moving rearward after the sliding bar engages the first stop. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the mechanical movement assembly is configured to convert rotational movement of the blade assembly into linear movement of one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor for defining the first and second gaps between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustable limiting assembly includes first and second stops configured to limit the linear movement of the sliding bar between first and second positions, and wherein the first and second stops are adjustable to define a maximum distance between the first and second positions and a minimum distance between the first and second positions. 
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical connection assembly and the mechanical movement assembly are configured to move at least the maximum distance to accommodate movement of the blade assembly between the first and second positions. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising an adjustment accommodation assembly configured to allow the mechanical movement assembly to move at least the maximum distance while stopping movement of the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor at the first and second positions when the distance between the first and second positions is less than the maximum distance. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor gap adjustment assembly includes a releasable lock assembly configured to secure one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor in at least one of first and second positions. 
     
     
       18. A blade and conveyor gap adjustment assembly for a blade portioning conveyor machine having a blade assembly and a conveyor assembly with an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor, the blade and conveyor gap adjustment assembly comprising:
 (a) a blade adjustment assembly suitable for moving the blade assembly between at least first and second positions relative to the conveyor assembly; and 
 (b) a conveyor gap adjustment assembly configured to define a first gap between an interior nose of the infeed conveyor and an interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the first position of the blade assembly and configured to define a second gap between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor to correspond to the second position of the blade assembly, wherein the conveyor gap adjustment assembly comprises:
 (i) a mechanical movement assembly moveable in first and second directions, the mechanical movement assembly coupled to one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor for defining the first and second gaps; and 
 (ii) an adjustable limiting assembly configured to limit the movement of the mechanical movement assembly in both the first and second directions to selectively widen or narrow the first and second gaps. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the mechanical movement assembly comprises an actuator configured to move the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor in the first and second directions, wherein the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to limit the movement of the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor when the actuator moves in the first and second directions. 
     
     
       20. The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the actuator is defined by a push-pull rod that moves a sliding bar coupled to the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor, wherein the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to limit the movement of the sliding bar when the push-pull rod is moved in the first and second directions. 
     
     
       21. The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the mechanical movement assembly comprises:
 (a) a push-pull rod that is configured to move in the first and second directions; and 
 (b) a sliding bar moveable by the push-pull rod that is coupled to the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor; 
 wherein the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to limit the movement of the sliding bar when the push-pull rod is moved in the first and second directions. 
 
     
     
       22. A conveyor gap adjustment assembly for a conveyor assembly having an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor, the conveyor gap adjustment assembly configured to define a first gap between an interior nose of the infeed conveyor and an interior nose of the outfeed conveyor and configured to define a second gap between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor, the conveyor gap adjustment assembly comprising:
 an actuator configured to move one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor in first and second directions, the actuator having a first stroke length in the first direction and a second stroke length in the second direction; and 
 an adjustable limiting assembly configured to limit the movement of the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor in both the first and second directions when the actuator correspondingly moves in the first and second directions to selectively widen or narrow the first and second gaps, wherein in a first position, the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to substantially stop movement of the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor by the actuator before the actuator completes the first stroke length, and wherein in a second position, the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to allow movement of the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor by the actuator until the actuator completes the first stroke length. 
 
     
     
       23. The assembly of  claim 22 , further comprising a blade adjustment assembly suitable for moving a blade assembly between at least first and second positions relative to the conveyor assembly, wherein the first gap corresponds to the first position of the blade assembly and the second gap corresponds to the second position of the blade assembly. 
     
     
       24. The assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator is defined by a push-pull rod that moves a sliding bar coupled to the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor, wherein the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to limit the movement of the sliding bar when the push-pull rod is moved in the first and second directions. 
     
     
       25. A conveyor gap adjustment assembly for a conveyor assembly having an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor, the conveyor gap adjustment assembly configured to define a first gap between an interior nose of the infeed conveyor and an interior nose of the outfeed conveyor and configured to define a second gap between the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor, the conveyor gap adjustment assembly comprising:
 (a) a mechanical movement assembly moveable in first and second directions, the mechanical movement assembly coupled to one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor for defining the first and second gaps, wherein the mechanical movement assembly comprises:
 (i) a push-pull rod that is configured to move in the first and second directions, the push-pull rod having a first stroke length in the first direction and a second stroke length in the second direction; and 
 (ii) a sliding bar moveable by the push-pull rod that is coupled to the one of the interior nose of the infeed conveyor and the interior nose of the outfeed conveyor; and 
 
 (b) an adjustable limiting assembly configured to limit the movement of the sliding bar when the push-pull rod is moved in the first and second directions, wherein in a first position, the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to substantially stop movement of the sliding bar before the push-pull rod completes the first stroke length, and wherein in a second position, the adjustable limiting assembly is configured to allow movement of the sliding bar until the push-pull rod completes the first stroke length.